Dreaming Through the Noise
by serafina19
Summary: Hours from the New Year, Oliver Queen sits in the DC airport, where he meets Chloe after she awakens from sleeping on his shoulder.  From there, they decide to miss their flights to take a spontaneous trip to see the fireworks.  Chlollie one-shot AU.


_Author Note: It might be early for a New Year's fic, but this plot idea wouldn't leave. So I starting writing, with every intention of it being a 500 word drabble. Then... it just grew and turned into this... I'm hoping it turned out okay. _

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. The title/fic is slightly inspired by the song "Recessional" by Vienna Teng.

* * *

**Dreaming through the Noise**

Many people didn't expect Oliver Queen to be sitting in an airport terminal when the clock would inevitably chime in the New Year. But that's where he was once a last minute business trip to DC put all of his other plans on hold.

All of the tabloids expected him to be surrounded by woman and drinking the night away; instead he was surrounded by airport folk, all likely wishing they were home for the holidays, while sipping from a water bottle.

That didn't mean he didn't have any female company. A blonde woman had been sleeping on his shoulder for the last hour... not that he minded. In fact, he was impressed she could sleep despite the noise throughout the terminal. Looking around the terminal, hardly anyone was sleeping due to the noise created the crying babies, the consistently-working PA system, not to mention the non-stop chatter that filled the sitting area.

Yet, there she was, sleeping peacefully, which convinced Oliver that she didn't sleep often, so he did everything not to wake her, which would eventually affect his own movements when her head leaned over unconsciously to rest on her shoulder.

The PA chimed in:

_Flight 6254 to Metropolis is now boarding at Gate 62._

He knew it wasn't his flight; it didn't board for another hour. He was proud of himself for giving his pilot the week off, it was the holidays after all, and just because he had no one to spend it with shouldn't mean that his pilot couldn't enjoy his holidays.

So he actually welcomed the woman's shoulder. It was human contact without expectation or consequence; something Oliver didn't have the honour of experiencing much. But that came with being a billionaire CEO with playboy tendencies.

But he was tired of that life. He wanted to settle down, find a woman who would accept him for who he was, the good and the bad. He wanted a family... he wanted to know what it felt like to have someone to spend the holidays with in order to embrace the true meaning of the holiday season, but life didn't have that in the cards for him yet.

Maybe this year would be different, he thought. He quietly resolved to change his life, to find happiness in the world around him. Life was too short to live it the way he had been.

His thoughts were interrupted by the PA system, which he thought he'd be used to by now, but it boomed as loud as the first time he heard it.

_Would Miss Chloe Sullivan please report to Gate 62_?

He looked down to see the woman finally stirring. After rubbing her eyes and seeing Oliver staring back at her, she quickly sat up straight. She tried to look away, but Oliver noticed the light shade of pink that encompassed her cheeks.

"Sorry. I didn't realize I was doing that."

"Relax, I could have moved if I wanted to."

"I don't mean to bother you further, but has the flight for Metropolis started boarding?"

"Are you Chloe Sullivan?"

"How did you know?"

Oliver pointed his arm towards her gate. "They're calling for you. The plane is likely ready to take off."

Grabbing her things, she rolled her eyes. "Good thing I'm close to the gate. Thank you..."

"Oliver, and no problem. Have a happy New Year."

Chloe attempted a smile. "You too."

Oliver could only grin as she took off to catch her flight. At the gate, she fumbled with her purse, spilling the contents on the floor. He quickly got out of his seat to help her pick up the things she dropped.

Noticing his involvement, Chloe said, "Sorry, I'm not usually this disorganized."

"Stop apologizing, Miss Sullivan. I don't mind." Standing back up, Oliver gestured towards the gate. "Go, there's probably someone waiting for you."

Their eyes met for a moment, and then Chloe merely shook her head. "No, this year I'm spending the New Year's alone."

"I know the feeling."

"Oh...well, take care."

As she handed the woman her passport, Oliver turned to walk back to his seat when he heard her voice one last time.

"When's your flight?"

"An hour, give or take."

The stewardess interrupted their conversation. "Miss... you need to get moving."

"Hold on a second. Oliver, do you want some company?"

He turned to face Chloe. "But your flight..."

Chloe shrugged. "There's a flight tomorrow. We could check out the fireworks, enjoy the night and then leave for home."

Oliver titled his head slightly and raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

"As long as you're willing to miss your flight." Seeing the smile on Oliver face, she faced the stewardess. "I'm going to be sticking around; I don't have any bags, so the plane can take off."

The stewardess merely rolled her eyes as she picked the phone and dialled.

Chloe walked back through the gate. "You'll have to get your bags back though."

"I only have carry-on too."

"Sorry again for sleeping on your shoulder. I hadn't been sleeping recently."

"Honestly Chloe , you sleeping on my shoulder was the highlight of my day."

Chloe chuckled. "How is that possible?"

Grabbing his bag, Oliver stared at the blonde woman responsible for taking his night in a different direction. "Long day at the office."

"You were working on New Year's Eve?"

"Emergency situation called for my assistance."

"I guess that's why you get paid the big bucks." She subtly elbowed him in the side, a move that caught Oliver off-guard.

"So what brings you to DC?"

Chloe looked out the window and saw her plane moving towards the runway before turning back to Oliver. "Following up on a couple leads. I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet."

"What's your story?"

Chloe quietly answered, "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

Oliver couldn't tell if she was being serious or not, but he didn't press the matter as they both stopped to see the divided hallway ahead of them.

"So what's the plan?"

Chloe shrugged. "Grab a cab and see where it takes us."

Oliver grabbed her hand to lead Chloe down the left corridor. "Well, the chances of us getting a cab once we get back to the city are likely slim to none. I'll get us a car."

Chloe smiled as she let him lead the way. "Whatever you say, big shot."

Returning her smile as he looked back at her, Oliver asked, "Nothing wrong with playing it safe. Do you always live this impulsively?"

"No, in fact, I'm usually anything but."

"So what inspires this sudden spontaneity?"

Chloe's eyes looked up at the ceiling as she released Oliver's hand. "I don't know. I thought I wanted to avoid the holidays, but I hear the fireworks are beautiful in DC and I decided that I'd rather see them than ring in the New Year fifty thousand feet in the air."

"Why have me tag along?"

"Who watches fireworks alone? Besides, your plans weren't any better."

"You didn't know my plans."

Chloe dryly remarked, "It's not like you had to tell me. Your flight boarded at 11:45. That's almost worse. Why are you avoiding the New Year?"

"Same reason as you probably."

Chloe turned her head to look at the various reunions happening around them. "No one to spend it with?"

"My life is a lot lonelier than most give credit."

"Oh, I see. You're one of those jet-setters. High life, high society, but no real home."

Oliver knew all too well the truth of that statement; however, he couldn't help but chuckle when she said it. "Way to twist the knife, Chloe."

Chloe didn't find any humour in the statement, and while she knew that he was trying to lighten the mood, it didn't make their situations any less true.

"My life isn't any better. All my friends are coupled up, leaving me in the dust. I get neglected on most days; I didn't need any reminders during the holidays."

"Hence coming to DC for a story?"

"When you've got no one to turn to, you turn to work. It won't let you down... or at least, it hasn't yet."

"Well, I'll do everything I can to ensure that you smile by the end of the night, okay? You deserve to start the New Year on the right foot."

"How do you know what I deserve?"

Oliver titled his head in acknowledgement before answering. "I don't... but it's the holidays. People deserve to be happy, don't they?"

Chloe stopped and held out her hand to Oliver. "To starting the year right. Both of us."

"Deal." He shook her hand proudly and looked over at the car rental area. "Wait here, I'll get us a chariot for our journey."

"I'll be here."

Oliver walked over to the counter and tried to discreetly order a car. Unfortunately, the sales clerk immediately recognized him and he had to get her to calm down to avoid making a scene. After getting the keys, he quickly got out of the area and found Chloe with a smile on her face. It was small, but a start.

But the smile slightly faded, as Chloe held her hand out impatiently, "Give me the keys."

Oliver closed his hands around the keys and started walking back down the corridor. "Not happening. I paid for the car, I'm driving."

Chloe cut off his path and prevented him from walking any further. "Look, there's about an hour before the fireworks. We could either waste time arguing or you could give me the keys. Either way, I'm driving."

"What makes you think I would lose the argument?"

"How well do you know the city?"

Seeing the pointlessness of their argument, Oliver smiled. "Better than you think, but this is your moment." Tossing her the keys, he smiled, "Wouldn't want to ruin it."

They found the car and Chloe started driving towards the city. It had started snowing, and the light snowfall almost had a magical element as they drove through the jubilant city of Washington DC.

They spent about half an hour driving and running around the city, trying to find the perfect spot. But Chloe wasn't convinced that it was in the city, so they returned to the car and found themselves driving on a secondary highway just inside of the city limits moments before midnight.

Oliver had never questioned where Chloe wanted to be before, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

"Where are we going?"

Splitting her gaze between the road and the scenery, Chloe simply replied, "We're finding a secluded place to watch the fireworks. A hill, a look-out point. Something like that."

"What's wrong with watching them with other people?"

Chloe turned to look at Oliver. "Other people judge, other people scream and yell while incessantly making out around you. If nothing else, it's a cruel reminder of what... of what _I _don't have."

Oliver continued looked at Chloe as her eyes returned to the road. He wondering what happened to her to have this kind of opinion of New Year's Eve. It probably had to do with why she was here with him instead of going home, and while he did want to know, he wasn't going to push it because he enjoyed her company.

The extra bonus was she hadn't figured out who he was, which meant that she genuinely wanted to be around him. The fact she was a journalist hadn't escaped his mind, but her demeanour didn't change after finding out his name, so he was taking the chance she didn't know about him or his reputation.

At the top of a hill, they suddenly noticed the fireworks in the sky. They weren't too high up, but the snow had stopped falling, and they were over the tree line, so they could see them clearly.

Chloe quickly pulled over and took the keys out of the ignition. She bolted out of the car and stood in awe over the colors that filled the air.

Oliver followed soon after and walked up to stand next to her. It was beautiful, but for him, it was different watching them while standing almost alone on a deserted road.

He had been there when the ball fell in Times Square, he had stood in the masses in various cities to ring in the New Year, yet this moment felt the most real and the most rewarding to him. It was the ending, the prize, for an unexpected journey.

Oliver now understood what Chloe meant. Other people made it rowdy, but it was a beautiful moment that should be cherished, something her face definitely depicted.

After a few minutes, Chloe would lean against Oliver's shoulder, and he would wrap his arm around her back. The fireworks continued for about ten minutes, and Chloe and Oliver would trade glances and grins, relishing each moment of their experience.

As the color disappeared into the night, they stood for a moment in the darkness. They stared at each other again, but this time, it was different. They were two people standing close together, yet even though they hardly knew each other, they were comfortable.

Chloe cleared her throat as her head left Oliver's shoulder. Oliver would soon drop his arm and walked to the passenger door.

The entire road trip back to the city was silent, except the periodical buzzing of Chloe's phone which she refused to acknowledge. She kept her eyes peeled on the road, while Oliver kept his on the scenery out his window. Somewhere during the fireworks, a spark had flown between them, and neither was willing to admit it.

Pulling up to the front door of a hotel, Chloe finally broke the silence.

"Could you get the rooms while I park?"

Oliver nodded, as grabbed his bag and opened the door.

Chloe quickly took off after he closed the door. She was shocked at the way the night had changed. It was a simple, spur-of-the-moment idea that had developed into an awkward realization. She had feelings for a guy she met at an airport less than two hours ago.

However, she knew the reality of the situation before her. She would go to sleep and forget about all of it, and she was okay for that.

But as she entered the hotel and located Oliver, she could tell by the expression on his face that fate had different plans.

"Is there anything available?"

Oliver pulled out a single room key from his pocket. "One room."

Chloe wasn't sure if that was better or worse. She doubted that she could sleep with him so close by. So she decided to take the easy way out.

"Well, sleep well, Oliver. Thanks for dealing with me." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her hand to prevent her from getting too far.

"I have a cot being delivered to the room as we speak. You need to sleep, and I don't want you to drive while you're half-awake."

Chloe knew how tired she was, so she stopped fighting against his grip and nodded.

"Okay."

They silently walked into the elevator, as Oliver pressed the button for the tenth floor. The doors shut, leaving them alone in a tight space once again. Chloe squeezed her hand around the beam in the corner she was standing in. Oliver stood in the opposite corner, staring into space, but once he noticed her gaze, he turned to look at her.

However, the moment his eyes moved, Chloe looked at her feet. Oliver wondered if she was alright, but he decided it was best to say nothing.

As the elevator doors opened. Oliver gestured for her to leave first, but she shook her head.

"After you. You know where the room is."

Oliver opened the door to find the cot set up next to the bed. He sat down on the cot as he set his things down, waiting for Chloe to enter the room.

Seeing Oliver on the cot, Chloe quickly said, "Get up."

Oliver was clearly caught off guard as he swiftly rose from the cot. "What?"

"I'm not making you sleep on the cot. You paid for the car and the hotel room."

"It's the least I could do; remember you did save my New Year's Eve."

Chloe could feel her cheeks reddening again, but her phone vibrating again snapped her out of it as she pulled it out of her bag and rolled her eyes.

Oliver walked past her to head towards the balcony. "You should probably answer that."

Chloe sat on the edge of the bed and stared at her phone as the call went to voicemail. After a minute, she begrudgingly opened it and dialled Lois' number, but before Chloe could say anything, her cousin swiftly spoke up.

_"Where are you? You were supposed to call me before you got on the plane. I've been trying to call you for the last hour."_

Chloe looked at Oliver out on the balcony and sighed. She had been ignoring the phone trying to forget the life she had at home. If she told Lois the truth, she'd never hear the end of it.

"My flight was cancelled. I'm catching a flight tomorrow."

_"No it's not. The website said it left a little late, but it's slated to arrive at its normal time." _

"Well, the website's wrong. Look Lois, it's late. I just wanted to let you know that I was okay."

_"But..."_

Before Lois had a chance to finish, Chloe quickly said, "Bye," before slamming the phone shut as she lay back on the bed.

After a minute, Oliver came back into the room and sat next to her. "You did have someone waiting. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yeah, that's my ideal holiday: hanging out the freshly minted couple of my cousin and best friend. That wouldn't be awkward at all."

"At least you have someone."

"They would spend the entire time setting me up with guys left and right, telling me how awesome relationships are when I know they only crash and burn."

Oliver leaned back to lie within inches of Chloe. "They tend to do that, don't they? Crash and burn, I mean."

"At least they do with me."

Oliver turned his head to look into Chloe's eyes. "Maybe we're just doing it wrong."

Chloe could feel her head inching towards his, and she wanted to stop, but there was something about his brown eyes that drew her in.

She blurted, "This is a bad idea."

Oliver placed a hand on her cheek. "Yeah, it probably is."

Their lips met, and it quickly progressed from there as they wrapped their arms around each other. Outside, there were screaming parades of people going down the streets that could be heard through their windows, but they didn't care. Not long ago, they were strangers in an airport, but here, they were two lonely souls looking for companionship.

Chloe was slightly terrified because she wasn't the type of girl to have this kind of fling. But she had played it safe for so long, that she thought she deserved to have some form of contact.

Seeing Clark and Lois together was the final straw. She loved that they finally decided to admit their feelings for each other, but spending holidays with the couple was the last thing she wanted to do.

So she took a last-minute assignment in DC, which allowed her to catch up with Mrs. Kent before she took off to Metropolis to visit Clark. She insisted that Chloe come with her, but she refused. Chloe had spent most holidays alone; another one wasn't going to change anything.

The article took most of her time, even cutting into her sleeping hours, hence how she ended up waking up on Oliver's shoulder at the airport earlier. She didn't even remember falling asleep, but she was glad that she got some sleep during the holidays. It had been the most peaceful she had felt for the past month.

But that paled in comparison to her experience with Oliver, who had become the highlight of her New Year's Eve too, no, the highlight of her trip. He had been a complete gentleman, and he didn't see her as a crazy person as she dragged him around town to find the best spot to watch the fireworks.

For once in her life, a guy didn't overlook her. Oliver saw her and Chloe didn't want to run.

She was brought out of her deliberation as she let out an involuntary moan, feeling Oliver's lips caressing her neck.

Oliver smiled at her as he moved his hands to slowly lift her shirt over her head. Chloe thought about covering herself up with something, but Oliver quickly caught her arm and held it in place.

Running his fingers through her hair, Oliver whispered, "Don't...you're beautiful."

Chloe pushed him away slightly as a response to what she always accepted as a lie, but the move also made it easier for her to take off his shirt. She paused, taking a moment to admire the view in front of her.

"You're not too bad yourself."

He stroked her arm and looked at her reassuringly. "You're sure about this?"

Chloe wasn't sure she could refuse anything when he stared at her like that, but she wanted this. She simply nodded as she pushed herself off the bed to capture his lips with hers.

* * *

Chloe opened her eyes to see that she was alone in the bed, but what was she expecting? It was one night of fun, breakfast the next morning was hardly mandatory. But that didn't stop Chloe from having a slight pang in her chest

Grabbing her bra which had been flung over the lamp, she remembered the events of the last twelve hours. What was supposed to be a pointless and solemn night ended up turning into one of the best of her life. She let go of all of her inhibitions and had fun. Doing up the clasp, she could feel muscles in her body aching, but she'd take the pain over and over again if it meant she felt this free.

Trying to find her other clothes, Chloe got up from the bed, but soon after, tripped over a bag. She cursed quietly as she turned her head to see the black bag that was clearly not hers. Bringing her fingers to her lips, she peered around the bed at the door. He may not have been in the room, but he was coming back.

Standing up, she dusted herself off and caught glimpse of a post-it on the mirror.

_You looked too peaceful to wake up, and I thought you might like breakfast in bed. Be back in five. Oliver _

A wide smile broke across Chloe's face as she stroked the post-it gently. However, the moment she saw her expression in the mirror, one her poker faces quickly replaced the genuine smile. She couldn't let herself lose control of the moment any more than she had.

Placing the note in her bag, she quickly got changed so that she would be presentable before Oliver came back. She was just doing up the zipper on her jeans when she heard the door open.

Oliver smiled. "I come bearing muffins. I hope chocolate chip's okay."

"It has chocolate."

Oliver tossed a muffin to Chloe before shutting the door. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No... I didn't hear you leave."

He noticed the disappointment in Chloe's green eyes, so he sat next to her on the bed and started to eat his muffin. Chloe fiddled with the wax wrapper, but she placed the muffin on the bed.

"Something wrong?"

Refusing to look at Oliver, Chloe simply replied, "No, I'm fine."

After popping the last of his muffin in his mouth, Oliver tried to lighten the mood. "What's the plan for today?"

"I have to smooth things over at home."

Oliver saw this coming, even though he didn't want to. He handed a folded piece of paper to Chloe. "That's what I figured."

Unfolding it, Chloe realized where Oliver had been when she woke up. On top of breakfast, he had booked her a ticket to Metropolis and printed off her boarding pass. Placing it back on his lap, Chloe stood up and walked away from the bed. "I can't accept this."

Surprised by her actions, Oliver caught up to her and grabbed her arm. "Why not?"

Taking a sigh while looking out the window to see the view of the balcony, Chloe finally turned to look at Oliver. "You paid for the car, the hotel room... I'm paying for the airfare even if they're first class. How much do I owe you?"

Oliver placed a hand on her chest. "Chloe, that's not necessary. It's my pleasure."

Shaking her head once more, she walked around him to find her purse. "I don't care. How much?"

Seeing Oliver's unchanging reaction, she passed him a post-dated signed cheque. "I expect you to fill it in."

"How about we call it even with five hundred dollars?"

"For two plane tickets on New Year's Day? No way. Your frequent flier miles can't be that high."

"You probably don't have that kind of money to throw around."

He was right, that's why she post-dated it so that she had the advance on her article.

"I don't rely on people to take care of me. Make sure you fill it in appropriately... and..." She reached again into her purse and handed Oliver three hundred bills. "For the car and hotel." Seeing Oliver's hesitance, she shook them a couple times. "Please."

He took the bills and slipped them into his pant pocket.

"Well...our flights are in three hours, we should get going."

Chloe grabbed her muffin and bag and smiled. "I'm ready when you are."

Oliver picked up his bag and walked by Chloe to open the door. "Ladies first."

The drive between the hotel to the airport was mostly quiet. They would trade the odd sentence or glance, but Oliver and Chloe knew the situation ahead of them. Soon enough, they would be saying goodbye, and neither of them really wanted to, but for the sake of the other person, they stayed quiet.

After returning the car, they found their way into the departures terminal. Standing in the entranceway, they pulled out their boarding passes.

Looking up at the sign reading 'Security Gate A,' Oliver said, "Well, I'm right here. How about you?"

"B. I'm across the terminal I think." Adjusting her purse on her shoulder, Chloe turned to face Oliver. "Well...I'll see you around, I guess."

"Yeah. It was nice to meet you Chloe."

"You too, Oliver. Have a safe flight home."

"Same to you." Holding out his hand, he tried to smile.

Taking his hand and shaking it slowly, Chloe looked up into his soft brown eyes. It was going to be hard to walk away, but she had to. She released his hand and picked up her bag. "Goodbye Oliver."

"Goodbye." As Oliver walked towards his security gate, he turned his head one last time to see Chloe still standing there, waving goodbye. Then she smiled and took off for the other side of the airport.

Once she was out of sight, Oliver sighed heavily as he finally placed his bag on the conveyor belt and prepared to go home, even though he felt more at home last night than he had in years. They had made a deal to start the year right, and they had done just that. After walking through the detectors and picking up his bag, Oliver realized that maybe there was hope for happiness for him after all.


End file.
